Rockhopper Penguin

EUDYPTES chrysocome

Rockhopper Penguin

EUDYPTES chrysocome

Background

They are very vulnerable at the moment. They aren't extinct, but are very endangered. The date of the discovery is unknown. They also usually live in colonies. Their life span is around 15-20 years old and can weigh around 4.4-11 pounds. They are carnivores that eat krill, fish, and shrimp. They are prey to leopard seals, killer whales, and sharks. They also usually lay 2 eggs in their lifetime. They look similar to the macaroni penguin, with their famous yellow feathers.

Biogeographical Data

Rockhopper penguins are usually found in the Sub-Antarctic and in some parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are about 2 million breeding pairs today. They are split into 2 or 3 species, northern, southern, or eastern. They belong to these groups: Kingdom Anamalia, Phylum Cordata, Class Aves, Order Sphenisciformes, Family Spheniscidae, and Genus Eudyptes. The usualyy breed along rocky slopes or tussocks. They build their nests from peats and pebbles. Since they are birds, they do migrate, depending on where they are from.

Rockhopper penguin chicks come in the colors gray, black, and white.

Rockhopper penguins have distinctive red beaks and eyes with head feathers that are yellow.

Rockhoppers puff up when laying on their nests and when floating on top of water.

Rockhopper penguin chicks come in the colors gray, black, and white.

Rockhopper penguins have distinctive red beaks and eyes with head feathers that are yellow.

Rockhoppers puff up when laying on their nests and when floating on top of water.

Why Are They Endangered? How Are We Affected? How Can We Stop It?

They are endangered, but not extinct. They have a lot of competition with commercial fishing companies and differences in sea temperatures. Sea temperatures may have been changing because of global warming. A lot of their eggs are also exploited. Predation and diseases are also problems. We can be affected because birds can spread the diseases to us and if they die off, then we will not have their waterproof feathers used for our benefits. We can help their population prosper by keeping the environment clean and realizing that we may loose the species soon.